Group heads to Washington, D.C.

Eugene and Lois Flint load their luggage into a bus Saturday at Convention Hall in Gadsden. The Flints are part of a local group going to Washington, D.C., for the
inauguration of President Barack Obama.

<p>When Barack Obama took office as president four years ago, Dorothea Dupree led a group of 54 people from Gadsden to Washington, D.C., to watch the historic event.</p><p>“I was so excited, and I wanted to witness (the inauguration),” Dupree said. “Not only that, but I wanted others to have a piece of the pie, too.”</p><p>Dupree is doing the same thing for Obama's second inauguration. She will lead a group of 50 other people, including 12 children, on a trip to Washington to see Obama take the oath of office on Monday.</p><p>The group left Gadsden on Saturday evening. They will stop in Cantonville, Md., then will depart for the capital at 4 a.m. Monday.</p><p>Along the way, there will be movies, inspirationals and songs by Dupree, a former gospel singer. </p><p>She said the plans are to arrive very early so the group will be able to get right by the fence outside the Capitol, to make sure everyone can see everything. </p><p>After the inauguration, she said, the group will go sightseeing and then return home.</p><p>Dupree, a retired school administrator, said she planned a lot of trips for her job, and it is something she enjoys doing because of how much others enjoy it.</p><p>“I've been getting so many calls from everyone,” Dupree said. “Everyone is so excited.”</p>